But that's absolutely it
by SomeKindOfMagic
Summary: A series of missing moments between Ron and Hermione going from Sorcerer's Stone all the way to past the epilogue. Read and review. Requests are welcome.
1. Like

Missing Moments…

_"But from that moment on Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share with out ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve foot mountain troll is one of them."_

There was no doubt in Ron Weasley's mind that Hermione Granger was the most insufferable know it all he had ever met, and that being friends with her was a real pain especially when she lectured him and Harry about the rules or stopped their hang man game in History of Magic. Yes life had been better when Hermione Granger had not been their friend.

Still right now in the common room with Hermione checking over his homework while his knight defeated Harry's queen on the chessboard Ron couldn't help but feel just a little grateful. He probably would've failed that potions essay without he. He spared a glance in her direction as Harry finished resetting up his chess pieces.

Her bushy hair was falling down over her eyes as she poured over his essay, crossing things out and looking through her notes. She took one second to lift her head from the homework to push a strand of hair behind her ears, and shot a quick glance over in Ron's direction. She shot him a quick tired smile as she noticed his gaze, and then went back to her work.

_Perhaps _Ron thought _homework help isn't the only thing good about her, her smiles are pretty nice too. _But that was absolutely it. There was nothing else good about Hermione Granger.

Ron turned his attention back to the chess game. Harry really was pathetic, and a sore loser. After two more games he announced he was heading to bed as they were the last ones in the common room besides Hermione who had now moved on to fixing Harry's essay.

"Almost done with that?" He asked Hermione, after he had finished picking up his chess set, and going to sit in the chair next to her. He really wasn't that tired afer all.

She yawned and looked up at him putting down her quill and sitting up. "Yes I'm all done." She said. Ron couldn't help but notice that she looked exhausted.

"You should go up to bed. You look awful."

Hermione glared at him. "Ronald Weasley you have got to be the biggest git I have ever met in my life."

Ron stared at her. What had he said that was so wrong? He didn't understand girls at all… no that wasn't true, he just didn't understand this particular girl. "Wha-" He began.

"Just shut up before you embarrass yourself." Hermione said exasperatedly.

Inexplicably Ron could feel a small smile creeping onto his lips. "Oh wipe that smirk off your face." Hermione said to him, but he could see that she too was holding back a smile.

"Only if you do." He replied slyly, shoving her arm playfully.

"Oh you are insufferable!" Hermione said, but she laughed and pushed him back.

_This isn't that bad. _Ron thought, smiling back at Hermione. _She can be fun when she's tired. That's nice. _But that was absolutely it. Homework help, smiles, and fun... nothing else.

"Seriously though Hermione, you should go to bed." Ron said to her, he knew she got miserable when she was tired.

Hermione yawned. "Yes, in a few minutes." She mumbled, curling up in her chair. "I don't want to get up just yet." She looked at him. "You don't have to wait you know, you can go to bed."

"Naw it's okay." Ron said, smiling at her. She looked so tiny in the armchair. "I'll stay too… just for a minute" He threw his legs over the side of his chair and put his head on the arm closest to Hermione.

"You're essay was awful." Hermione mumbled so quietly Ron could barely hear her. He figured she was falling asleep. He was suddenly very tired as well.

"Did you fix it?" He asked her, barely getting the words out as his eyes drooped.

She didn't answer him and he leaned over her chair to look at her. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing lightly. He leaned back into his own chair. He would go upstairs in a minute. He just wanted to rest for a second. He felt his eyes close and could feel sleep coming upon him.

Ronald Weasley's last thought before falling asleep was that Hermione Granger looked pretty cute sleeping. But that was absolutely it. There was nothing else he liked about Hermione Granger.


	2. Worry

Missing Moments…

_ "'So you mean the stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stand up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm._

_ "It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron."_

Another late night studying for homework, another bout of nervous thought flowing through her head. Hermione couldn't help it, perhaps if she hadn't insisted on reading all about you-know-who before she had come to Hogwarts, and perhaps if she hadn't become friends with Harry she wouldn't be quite so scared… but then she also wouldn't even know about the Sorcerer's stone. Was oblivion better than fear? Hermione couldn't decide.

The common room was emptying quickly and Hermione didn't feel like sitting still. Harry had gone up to bed a couple hours ago, and she hadn't seen Ron since History of Magic. It was much past curfew and Hermione couldn't help being a little worried about where he was. Still nothing out of the ordinary had happened today so she couldn't imagine that anything could have happened to him.

Hermione wouldn't care so much about him except that she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to anyone she knew. But there was absolutely no other reason she was worried.

Hermione turned her attention back to her transfiguration notes trying to keep her mind off of anything other than how to turn a teacup into a kettle, but it was hard with the common room so quiet. She was alone now, and every noise seemed to unseat her and make her look around nervously.

Finally she gave it up as a bad job and got up planning to go to get some rest. She headed to the stairs that led to her inviting bed, but realized there would be no chance of her going to sleep. She always worried the most when she as in bed, and with Ron no where to be seen there would be no chance of her working through her fears long enough to fall asleep. She sighed and turned around, giving it up as a bad job. What she needed was to take a walk, clear her head. Still it was long after hours and Hermione Granger was not one to disobey rules. She glanced to the portrait hole and sighed there was nothing for it she had to get out of Gryffindor tower just for a few minutes.

Looking around her quickly she tiptoed to the portrait hole and crawled through. She was just about push the door open when it flung open. She looked up to see a gangly red head staring down at her. She jumped up at him and flung her arms around him, but quickly pulled away awkwardly. Ron coughed awkwardly, and stood back a little so that she could close the portrait hole so that they were both standing out in the corridor. After a second of awkwardness as the two of them stared at the floor Hermione looked up at him. "Where have you been?" She asked him accusingly. "It's way past curfew. Everyone was starting to think something had happened to you!" Well it had really only been her, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

Ron stared at her. "Me? What about you?"

"What about me?" Hermione replied, bewildered.

"Well you were sneaking out!" Ron said loudly.

"Be quiet Ron." Hermione hissed. "You're going to get us in trouble."

Ron opened his mouth to retort but Hermione glared at him and he closed his mouth. "If you must know I was just going to go for a quick walk and then go straight back to bed." She said.

"So you were breaking the rules?" Ron replied.

Hermione glared at him. "Fine, yes I was technically breaking the rules." She fixed her gaze on him angrily and crossed her arms. "But I told you where I was going so you have to tell me where you were."

"Well I was going back to bed." Ron said. "Obviously."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, moving closer so as to better hiss at him when she spoke. "Yes but where were you?" She asked.

Ron took a step back and Hermione realized how close they had been for the first time. After another awkward second he spoke. "Fine." He said. "I'll show you." He took her arm and pulled her down the hallway.

"Oh stop it Ronald!" Hermione squealed pulling away from him.

"Do you want to see where I was or not?" He asked her angrily.

"Well yeah-" She began.

"Then follow me, and be quiet." He began to walk down the hallway, not waiting for her.

Hermione stared at his back for a second, and then followed him reluctantly. They didn't talk as they moved swiftly and silently down the hallway. After a few minutes Hermione spoke. "Maybe we should just go back…"

Ron shot her a look that said to be quiet. "We're there." He said.

Hermione looked around, they were in a hallway with no doors. "This is where you were?" She asked Ron confused, but when she turned to look at him he was pushing a stone into the wall. The wall melted away and Ron stepped through beckoning for Hermione to follow him. After a second's hesitation she did, stepping through the hole a bit nervously. Ron put his hand on another brick and the wall reappeared.

"Look around." Ron told her, and she realized he was smiling. She turned to look and gasped. They were outside… but they couldn't be. The ground was the grass that covered the Hogwarts grounds, but it felt like the Hogwarts floor under her feet. She could see light snow falling but she couldn't feel it, and it felt like it was at least seventy degrees. She looked up at the ceiling, but all she could see was endless sky, the most beautiful sky she had ever seen. She felt as though she could reach up and touch the stars.

She turned back to Ron. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." She breathed, still shocked at her surroundings.

"Yeah it's pretty high on my list too." Ron said, moving closer to her. "I've been coming here everyday since… well I can't remember when exactly. I'm sure I'm the only one who knows about it, or at least I've never seen anybody else." He said with a shrug.

"But how did you find it?" Hermione asked him, still in awe.

"Malfoy pushed me into it." Ron said. "Well he pushed me into the wall, and when he left when he left I punched that brick and it just opened up." He looked around. "I come her to think mostly, and when I want to be alone."

"Is it always snowing?" Hermione asked him curiously.

"Nah it changes, I think depending on what I'm feeling." He sighed. "It's been snowing a lot lately. I think it does that when I'm…" He broke off.

Hermione looked at him. "When you're what?" She asked him.

"When I'm scared." Ron whispered.

Hermione stared at him. She had never considered the idea that Ron might be as scared as she was. He was always the one who could make a joke out of anything. He always seemed so solid, because she had never thought that he quite realized the magnitude of what was happening like her and Harry did. Perhaps she had been wrong.

Hermione didn't respond but instead lay down on the floor, and motioned for Ron to do the same. He did, laying in the opposite direction of her so that their heads were next to each other, but there bodies weren't. They laid in silence for a few minutes staring up at the stars in the sky.

"I've memorized all the concellations in here." Ron told her quietly after a few minutes. "See there's the big dipper." He pointed to a collection of stars, and then pointed to a group next to them. "And that's the-"

"Little dipper, yeah." Hermione interrupted him. "My dad used to take me stargazing when I was little."

Ron turned his head to face her. "Mine too." He said smiling, and then turned back to the sky.

The snow stopped abruptly and after a moment of nothing it began to downpour rain that they could not feel. "I love the rain." Hermione said wistfully.

"It's my favorite weather." Ron replied, and Hermione could practically see the smile on his face.

"What does it mean when it rains?" She asked curiously.

Ron paused. "It's never happened before." He admitted quietly.

They both sat silent for a few more minutes, feeling content in a strange way. It was Hermione who broke the silence. "We should get back." She whispered.

"Yeah." Ron replied, sounding reluctant to leave. He stood up and offered a hand to help Hermione up. She paused and then took it, letting him pull her up.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"Hermione-" Ron began.

She nodded at him.

"Don't tell anyone about this room. I don't want anyone to know." He said. "Let's just keep it between you and me."

"Okay." She whispered. "Just don't stay here late without telling me. I really was worried." She gave him a pleading glance.

"Okay." He agreed.

As they walked out Hermione couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, she was worried about Ron because she cared about him. But that was absolutely it. There was no other reason that she worried about Ronald Weasley.


	3. Saving Him

""_You drink that," said Harry. "No listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy-"_

_Get Ron; get Ron _That was the only thought that was going through Hermione's mind as she ran through the purple flames to Ron who was still lying where he had fallen when he had sacrificed himself.

Looking down at Ron he looked so small to Hermione. For the first time in her life she didn't see him as tall but as tiny, tiny enough even for her to carry to the trapdoor… maybe. Not maybe, maybe was not an option, she had to get him to the Hospital Wing immediately, and then she had to get Dumbledore. She kneeled down next to him and a wave of relief washed over her as she realized that he was breathing steadily. "Come on Ron." She whispered, really to herself since she was sure that he couldn't hear her.

She had to save him, she had to save him because he was her friend… but that was absolutely the only reason.

It had been almost a day since Hermione had carried Ron all the way out of the trapdoor, and Dumbledore had saved Harry, and she was still the only one who was awake.

Madame Pomfrey was attending to Harry at the moment who was in the bed next to Ron. Hermione was sitting in a seat that was directly in the middle of the two beds, where she had not moved from since Dumbledore had carried Harry into the room. Her eyes were glued to Ron. Madame Pomfrey had told her that he was likely to wake up first and she was afraid that if she didn't watch him he might never wake up.

"Oh are you positive they're going to be okay?" She asked Madame Pomfrey, still not taking her eyes off Ron.

"I'm absolutely sure." Madame Pomfrey replied sounding a bit cross. Hermione must have asked her this question at least twenty times. "Now why don't you go up to your dormitory and get some sleep."

"I can sleep here." Hermione said. "I'm not leaving until at least one of them wakes up."

Madame Pomfrey sighed. "Fine." She said. "Take one of the beds." Her voice was soft and caring in a way Hermione had never heard before, and she was so surprised that she looked at her curiously, taking her eyes away from Ron for the first time in hours. Madame Pomfrey smiled kindly at her. "I know this is hard on you." She explained. "Waiting for your two best friends to wake up, and you've just been through a horrible ordeal. I don't usually let healthy people stay here, but I'll make an exception for you." She paused. "As long as you promise me to get some sleep. If you don't you might end up being a patient yourself."

Hermione nodded her head, and stood up. There was empties beds next to both Ron and Harry, but she instinctively took the one next to Ron. She felt as though she still had to save him, as if his life was still in her hands.

_I only feel like I need to save him because he saved me… but that's absolutely the only reason. _She told herself as she slipped into the bed and closed her eyes, but not before giving him one more quick glance.

Hermione blinked her eyes open, wondering how long she had slept. "Hermione!" She turned as she heard a voice gasp out her name from the bed next to her. Ron Weasley was beaming at her.

She shot up out of her bed and ran to his, embracing him in a tight hug that was not awkward at all, unlike last time. Perhaps because this time her worry had not been misplaced, and perhaps because this time he was hugging her back just as tightly. "Ron." She whispered his name as tears began to fall from her eyes.

She broke away after and moment and perched herself at the edge of his bed. "I'm so glad you're awake!" She said, letting tears fall freely.

"Yeah me too." Ron replied. "I kept having dreams about being a chess piece, and having to sacrifice myself for this git." He beckoned towards Harry.

Hermione laughed through a sob. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since about noon." Ron said. "I practically jumped out of my skin when I did, but I calmed down when I saw you and Harry were both here."

Hermione looked out the window, it was just getting dark. She figured it must be around 8:30. "Have you had anything to eat?" She asked him.

"Yeah Fred and George brought me up some food." He said. "I left some for you." He gestured towards the bedside table. "Madame Pomfrey said you hadn't eaten since you got us out of there."

Hermione blushed. "Yeah. I was just really nervous."

"Well eat." Ron said, smiling at her. Hermione noticed his ears were a bit red, but ignored it.

She pulled the plate onto her lap and began to nibble on the corn on the cob. "When can you leave?" She asked him between bites.

"Tomorrow morning." Ron replied. "And Madame Pomfrey thinks that Harry will wake up sometime tomorrow as well."

Hermione spared a quick glance at Harry before turning her attention back to Ron. Now that Ron had woken up she felt sure that Harry would do the same. "Good." Hermione said. "Maybe I'll go up to my bed tonight." She said, but she was reluctant. Still she didn't want Ron to know just how nervous she had been.

"Yeah…" Ron said uneasily. "Or you could stay. I mean I wouldn't mind the company of someone else who is awake." He said gesturing to Harry, and laughing.

"Alright." Hermione said relieved that he didn't mind her staying him. She still didn't really want to leave him… or Harry.

"So you've really been here the whole time?" Ron asked her.

Hermione blushed. "Yeah… I mean I couldn't really go anywhere else without worrying about you… and Harry of course."

"Well I'm glad." Ron said. Hermione noticed his ears were red again.

Hermione smiled at him. "So what do you think happened after we left, down in the trapdoor I mean?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't think we can know until he wakes up."

Hermione smiled at Ron. "You were brilliant you know?"

"You too." Ron said, and for the first time Ron hugged Hermione instead of her hugging him, and for the first time their friendship really felt cemented to Hermione and she realized just how much losing him would've cost her.

_Maybe… just maybe._ Hermione thought. _I had to save him because he can be so sweet when he's not being a git. But that's absolutely the only reason._


	4. Letters

A/N: Well this is definitely not my best work, but it's just a filler chapter that I sorta wanted to do. It didn't work out how I planned but don't worry, next chapter is gonna be the best yet. : )

"_Dear Ron, and Harry if you're there,_

_ I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble too. I've been really worried and if Harry is all right would you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl because I think another delivery might finish this one off._

_ I've been very busy with school work of course- _"How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on vacation!"- _And we're going to be in London on Wednesday to buy new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley?_

_ Let me know what's happening as soon as you can._

_ Love from Hermione"_

Ron couldn't deny that he liked Hermione's letters, anticipated them even, because the truth was that every time he saw Errol heading towards his window he would drop whatever he was doing and read what she had wrote him.

He didn't even mind that much when she went on about all the studying she was doing or lectured him about not doing his homework, but his favorite letters were the ones where she told him about how jealous she was that he was still in the magical world, because the idea of her being jealous of him was so absolutely ludicrous. She was the one who knew everything after all.

The only reason Ron liked Hermione's letter though was because they reminded him of Hogwarts, but that was absolutely the only reason

Hermione couldn't deny that letters from Ron were often the highlight of her day. She had noticed that Harry hadn't written her any letters, but she didn't dwell on that because she was too preoccupied thinking about the letters from Ron.

Harry came up in their conversations sometimes of course but mostly they talked about themselves, what they were up to, who they had talked to, when they were going to meet up. For those twenty minutes it took to read Ron's letters and write back they were the only to people in the world, and somehow she liked that.

Despite this the only reason Hermione liked Ron's letters was because he told her what was going on in the wizarding world, but that was absolutely the only reason.

It was the day after Ron had rescued Harry's from the Dursley's when he got the letter from Hermione telling him when she would be going to Diagon Alley, and he couldn't help but be happy that they were finally going. He was sick of being in the Burrow, and he loved Diagon Alley, it was always a fun place to be. After asking his mother about going the day that Hermione had said that she would be there he wrote back immediately, claiming that he had to clean his room, and telling Harry to stay downstairs with the twins.

For some reason he didn't want Harry involved in his and Hermione's letters, they were theirs, something that the two of them shared without any one else and he didn't want that to end. He wrote the letter quickly, and sloppily but made sure to take care with what he was saying, like he always did.

Dear Hermione,

I just asked mum and she said that it would be fine to meet you in Diagon Alley on Wednesday. Harry's fine, and well… I'm not sure if we did anything illegal but no one knows except my family and Harry so don't worry about it. I'm pretty excited to go to Diagon Alley, but did you see the supply list this year? My parents are gonna have a hard time paying for everything. When I get a job I'm going to be rich, just wait and see, and then I'll be able to afford anything I want. Maybe I'll even buy you something! How do you pay for school supplies anyways? I know they don't take muggle money at the stores. Do you have to transfer the money or something? Anyways I can't wait to meet you there.

From,

Ron

When he was satisfied with the letter he gave it to Errol to deliver and went back downstairs to Harry.

Two days later they were in Diagon Alley and for the first time in months they saw each other. The hug that they shared was brief and awkward, but somehow it got both of the thinking.

Perhaps they liked each other's letters because they missed each other just a little bit… but that was absolutely the only reason.


	5. Petrified

A/N: Just so you know, there's going to be very little dialouge in this one, and some people might not like it because of that, but personally it's my favorite chapter so far, so hopefully you guys will like it too. : ) Also I own nothing of course.

Stone. That was what she had looked like, and also what she had felt like to. Her face had been so rigid, and her hand so cold, as if she was a statue. He couldn't close his eyes, couldn't go to sleep with out seeing her frozen face in his mind. The frozen face of his best friend.

It had been days since the Quidditch match that had been cancelled, and when he had first seen her in that hospital wing bed. All he wanted to do was forget about that look on her face, forget about the nothing in her eyes, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself not to go back day after day. He couldn't bring himself to not stay up late copying his notes over for her so that when she woke up she would be able to catch up with school as quickly as possible, because that was so important to her. He knew that should would probably scoff at the notes he had made, because they were short, and often illegdible, but the effort made him feel better, helped him remember that even though she looked dead she wasn't really, that she would wake up.

He didn't know what he would do when he saw her for the first time fully alive again. He didn't think that he could fathom the relief and happiness that he would feel when it happened. To finally have a flicker or hope back, and to be able to ask her what she knew because she had obviously been off to the library because she had figured something out, and also just to see her alive again because... well she was his best friend after all.

Not that he had ever really considered her his best friend before now. Sure he had known that he cared about her, and he had always looked forward to her letters, and had enjoyed the nights that they sometimes spent talking in the weather room that he had discovered last year, but he had never realized just how much she meant to him until a few months before, when Malfoy had called her a mudblood, and he had jumped in to defend her. That had been a bit of a defining moment for him, because he had felt as if Malfoy was insulting his own family rather than just his friend.

He could remember that moment clearly. He could remember every detail of Malfoy's scrawny little face, and the confusion on Hermione's. He was so glad that she hadn't understood the insult and that because she didn't know what the word meant that she could not be hurt by it, but he had been. He called Hermione a know it all on a daily basis, and when Harry said something about the way she sometimes acted that was okay, but for anyone other than the two of them to suggest that she was anything less than brilliant was an atrocity in his mind. The consequence for defending her had been worth it. The shock on Malfoy's face when he thought that he was about to be hexed was worth more slugs than he could imagine.

Yet when she had been in real danger Ron had not been able to help her, because he had not been there. He wasn't sure if Harry felt the same way about this as he did. He supposed he must, after all, Hermione was his best friend too, and yet Ron didn't see the same pain in Harry that he felt. Yes, Harry was hurting and yes Harry clearly cared for Hermione but Harry was still so preoccupied with saving the school, and solving the mystery while Ron only wanted to save Hermione at this point. Looking at her face had been the reason that he had braved going into the forbidden forest, especially since they had been going after giant freakin' spiders who had told them absolutely nothing. If it wasn't for Hermione he would have stayed in the common room.

Well he actually probably wouldn't have, but he knew that it would have been Hermione who would have convinced him to come with her and Harry into the forest. He knew that it would have been his need to prove to her that he wasn't scared that would have driven him in there in the end.

He remembered her laughing at him when she had found out that he was afraid of spiders. That had been classic Hermione, finding humor in his weaknesses. She had always thought it was both funny and agravating that he couldn't spell to save his life, and while she often told him and Harry off for their horrible study habits he knew that she also found it rather humorous. He wondered if she would laugh if she ever found out that she, herself was one of his greatest weaknesses. He didn't think that she could make fun of him for it though, they were good friends after all, and that was absolutely the only reason why he was so upset.

Another problem with Hermione being petrified was that he just couldn't seem to focus on school. His grades had been slipping like crazy, and not just because he didn't have her to help him with his homework. He kept falling asleep in class since he couldn't sleep at night because of the nightmares that seemed to be constantly playing on the back of his eyelids. Images of a dead Hermione, very different than the petrifed one in the hospital wing, this Hermione was limp not solid, and her eyes were even more empty than they were now. He had dreams of how this had happened to her, how she had become petrified. Some were horrible, with gruesome creatures knawing on her until she became still after screaming out in pain. Yet it was the quieter ones that bothered him most, the ones where she simply stopped moving with no explanation at all, because they made him feel even more clueless than he usually did, and clueless was a feeling that he was becoming very, very used to.

He had never felt clueless last year, not once. He had felt fear, and he had felt worry, and he had felt like something terrible could happen at any minute, but he had never felt clueless. With each new question came a question that was answered, but this year there were no answers, and there was nothing to do but wait, and go visit Hermione, and wonder what had happened to her.

He had gone down to visit Professor Sprout the day before to ask her how the mandrakes were coming along, but she had told him to go away, and that she was much too busy to see him, but he had refused to go away. When it had started to get dark out she had come out again, and let him inside. The walls of the green house had been covered in mandrakes, and Professor Sprout had let him help her care for them a bit, and had told him that they would be ready in about a month, maybe a bit more. It had been nice, and had distracted him for a few minutes from worrying about Hermione, but when he had left the look on her face, and what she had said to him had made everything so much worse.

"You need to stop worrying so much Mr. Weasley. There's really nothing you can do, you need to leave it up to us teachers." She had said to him, and the look on his face had been pity.

He knew that she was trying to make him feel better, trying to make him think that she and the other teachers had everything under control, but it just made him feel useless, and that was perhaps the one feeling that he could not stand.

Ron could not believe that he could feel as many emotions as he had in the last few hours. First there had been despair when he found out that his baby sister had been taken into the chamber of secrets, then he had felt anger at Lockhart when he had found out that he was such a fraud, and then fear when the rocks had seperated him and Harry, and relief when Harry and Ginny had emerged safely, but he had not felt pure happiness until the moment when he had seen Hermione running down the great hall towards him and Harry with the biggest smile on her face, and he had felt his expression reflect hers.

Now he was sitting in the common room with Harry and Hermione for the first time in what felt like ages and everything felt right. They had been down there for hours filling Hermione in on what had happened in the past months and smiling and laughing together.

Harry yawned. "It's late guys, I'm going to bed." He smiled at the two of them as he got up. "Glad to have you back Hermione."

Hermione smiled at him, and he walked up to the dormitories leaving the pair alone. Hermione turned to Ron. "Want to get out of here?" She asked him, a mischevious grin on her face.

Ron laughed. "Always." He replied, standing up.

Neither one of them had to say where they were going, they both instictively knew. As they slipped out the corridor and snuck down the hallways they said nothing to each other, but the silence was comfortable and familiar. Finally they arrived at a blank stretch of wall that was very familiar to the two of them. "Would you like to do the honors?" Ron asked her, smiling a little.

"Sure." Hermione replied, pushing in a brick in the wall, and standing back as the wall melted away in front of them. They stepped in, and the wall grew back up behind them.

The room was as magnificent as either of them could remember and the light rain that was coming down from the amazingly cloudless sky enhanced the room's magnificence as usual. They stood in silence for a few moments, staring up at the stars.

"Ron..." Hermione whispered after a while, and he turned his attention away from the stars to see her looking at him.

"Hmmm?" He asked, tilting his head a bit.

"I'm really glad you and Harry saved everyone."

Ron frowned a bit. "We didn't really though." He paused. "I mean we did, but it was the note that you had in your hand that really saved us. We would have never figured out it was a basilisk on our own."

Hermione smiled at him.

"Speaking of you being smart." Ron added. "I copied down all my notes for you. They'er not very good but-"

Hermione interrupted him. "You did extra work?" She asked, and he expected her to laugh but she didn't. "That's so nice."

Ron could feel his ears going red, and he smiled awkwardly. "I mean, I just knew that you would want to catch up was all, even though you probably already know how to do everything that we learned-"

But Hermione cut him off again. "Thank you." She said, and then turned back to the sky without another word.

And in that moment for the first time in his life, Ron let himself think that maybe just maybe he cared for Hermione Granger for a reason other than because she was his best friend, he just couldn't quite figure out what that reason was.


	6. Fight

**A/N- So I know it's been literally forever since I last updated this story, but I've been busy working on another story, which isn't really getting much attention and I quite like it so it would be great if you guys could please read and review it. Here's the link: .net/s/6529069/1/To_The_End_Of_Hope so yeah please read a review that story. Kisses : ***

Hermione had never imagined that her new schedule would take such a toll on her. The constant weight of the time turner pressing into the back of her neck seemed like a ball and chain, never allowing her to eat, sleep, or relax properly even with the unlimited extra time it allowed her. Exhaustion was slowly taking over her mind and body and she felt as if she would never be able to relive the happiness that she had felt during her first year at Hogwarts.

Yet it wasn't the overwork, or the stress that was slowly killing her, alone she could deal with those. It was the fact that Harry, and Ron hadn't talked to her in over a month now, and she was starting to feel as if everything that she had ever held dear was gone. The hours she spent in the library and studying helped to distract her somewhat from her loneliness, but there was always a gnawing feeling in the back of her mind reminding her that she was completely alone and that it seemed unlikely that the two people who she cared for more than anything, who she would willing give her life for, would ever speak to her again.

It was a chilly day when Hermione decided that rather that rather than sit around for another hour or so doing yet more work that she would do something that she had been doing more and more often since her, Harry, and Ron's row, and go and see Hagrid. Not wanting it to seem as though she was only going down to visit him because she had no body else to talk to she collected the research that she had been doing on hippogriff trials from under her four poster, and then sprinted down the stairs to the common room, however she stopped dead at the second to last step at the sight of Harry and Ron lounging comfortably in the armchairs in front of the fire, the chair that she normally sat in next to Ron empty but for a couple spell books that one of the two boys must have set there. She stared at the sight, tears beginning to well in her eyes when she heard a small cough behind her.

Hermione whirled around, caught off guard, coming face to face with Lavendar Brown. Lavendar gave her a small smile but Hermione couldn't help but feel that there was something much crueler lurking behind the other girls curled up lips. "What?" She asked rather rudely, and Lavendar smiled even wider.

"I just feel so bad for you." Lavendar replied, sarcasm biting in her voice, "I mean to be so smart but to miss what was right in front of your face." Lavendar laughed airily.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione demanded.

"Come on Hermione, you must have known that Harry and Ron were only using you for your intelligence." Lavendar said, "I mean what other reason would they have for hanging out with someone like you, plain, boring, and buck toothed. There's no other explanation. I mean I'm not trying to be mean or anything, I'm just trying to make sure you aren't living some fantasy." She smiled wickedly at Hermione, and then pushed her out of the way, "Move, I have to go meet Paravati and Seamus in the library." She stalked off, holding her head high.

Hermione stared after her. She was convinced that Lavendar was probably right, after all what did she have to offer other than her intelligence? A surge of anger coursed through her and she made her way down the rest of the stairs and through the common room, pointedly looking away from Harry, and Ron as she passed them.

* * *

When she reached Hagrid's cabin she knocked loudly on the door, and immediately heard the booming barks of Fang the boarhound. Hagrid answered the door a second later, and smiled down at her. "Hermione!" He exclaimed. "I'm glad yer here. Bin wan'ing to talk to yeh about Buckbeak's trial."

"Well I brought some more research." She said, forcing herself to smile back up at Hagrid and stepping into his cabin, "I'll leave it here for you."

"Alrigh'." Hagrid replied, "You wan' some tea or cakes or anything?"

"No I'm alright." She said.

Hagrid looked down at her and she could tell that he knew that she was in a mood. He knew that her and Harry and Ron hadn't been talking, and she could tell that he was not pleased with the situation. "Harry an' Ron still not talking to yeh?" Hagrid asked her, going to sit down in the chair across the table from her.

Hermione shook her head, looking away from him. "Did you hear about Ron almost getting attacked?" She asked him.

"Yeh o' course I did. Had to patrol the corridors all bloody night afterwards. Glad he's alright though." Hermione let out a shuddering sob as he said this, "Wha's wrong?" He asked quickly, "Did somethin' else happen?"

"No it's just..." She trailed off, wiping her eyes, "I just keep thinking what if Black had- had killed him, and then we would have never made up, and what if he- or Harry- gets hurt sometime again. I mean they're always running off and doing stupid things, and I just can't- I can't imagine what it would be like if-if-if-" Again she let out a sob.

"Hermione! Hermione!" Hagrid was on his feet, patting her roughly on the back, "Don' you worry, Harry and Ron will be comin' runnin' back to you anytime now. I've seen you guys together fer three years now, and I know tha' there's no way they're not feelin' bad about this whole thin'. Jus' give 'em time Hermione." Tha's all they need."

Hermione nodded, and stood up. "I think I'm gonna go up to bed now." She said. "But thank you Hagrid. I'll leave the stuff about the trial here."

"Alrigh'" Hagrid said. "Come and see me anytime."

"Okay."

And for the first time Hermione wondered what it would be like to live without Ron. She figured that she'd be able to survive, but that's absolutely it.


	7. Reunion

**A/N- So as it's currently 3:00 A.M New Years Day and I can't sleep and my friend is playing Call Of Duty I've decided to steal her laptop and do a little 2011 you should all check out my other fanfic To The End Of Hope because... you just should. Happy New Years everyone : D  
**

Ron Weasley had never been more shocked and impressed in his life than he was at this moment. Seeing anyone punch Malfoy or walk out on Trelawney would have of course made his day, but the fact that someone had done both of these things and that this someone was Hermione Granger just sent him over the edge. He was absolutely and without a doubt in complete and total ecstasy. Absolutely nothing could spoil his mood.

He was sitting in the common room in his armchair next to the fire, cracking nuts and then throwing the shells in the fire watching the tiny explosions that the shells caused. In the armchair to his left his little sister Ginny was sleeping soundly, having fallen asleep an hour ago over her homework, and in the chair to his right Hermione was curled into a ball reading some book that Ron was sure that he would never be able to understand even if he tried. He had noticed that once in a while she would look up at a particularly loud shell explosion and roll her eyes, and as nothing pleased Ron Weasley more than annoying Hermione Granger he had begun to chuck several shells into the fire at a time, which set off a series of small explosions in short successions.

So far though his plan to get Hermione to raise her nose out of her book and talk to him had not gone over well. She had shot him a few annoyed glances but other than that she showed no signs of being particularly bothered by the noise he was making. Bored, Ron grabbed a quill from the table behind him and began to poke Hermione with it. She ignored him for several minutes but he persisted until she finally slammed her book shut and glared at him, "What exactly do you want?" She growled at him through clenched teeth, "Are you just trying to annoy me?"

Ron smiled, "Basically, yeah." He responded.

"Well don't." Hermione said, and then buried her nose back in her book.

Ron groaned, "Hermionnnnneeeeeee." He whined, rolling his eyes.

"What do you want Ron?" Hermione snapped, "Because if you're just trying to annoy me then I'll be sure to go up to my dormitory so to remove the temptation."

Ron stared at her, his ears going slightly red. "What? Temptation?"

"Oh grow up Ron!" Hermione said, "You are the most mature little-" but before she could finish her sentence Ron reached over her chair, and covered her mouth with his hand, she slapped him off her, "Why do you insist on making my life difficult?" She asked him, but she was laughing as she said it.

Ron rested his hand on her shoulder and laughed, "Oh what would you do without me?" He asked her.

"Um... well first off I probably would not have to do two essays every time a teacher assigns a project, and I wouldn't constantly be furious with anyone, and I wouldn't have to spend five hours in Zonkos every Hogsmeade weekend." Hermione said.

"Yeah, but other than that, you'd be pretty miserable wouldn't you?" Ron asked.

Hermione smiled at her friend, "Definitely."

Ron's ears turned even redder and he stood up. "You know what we haven't done lately?" He asked.

"What?"

"Gone to the weather room."

"You haven't been there recently?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"No... why have you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Well yeah." Hermione said slowly, "I mean I usually go there when my homework schedule gets too much and I'm stressed about stuff."

"I bet me and Harry not talking to you didn't help much." Ron muttered.

"Well no." Hermione admitted.

"What was it?"

"What?"

"The weather. What weather did it turn?" Ron asked, questioningly.

"Um it's usually foggy." Hermione said, "I can barely see the stars." She smiled at him, "It'd be nice to see the rain."

Ron smiled at her hugely, "Well what are we waiting for?" He asked, and walked through the portrait hole, Hermione following him.

After two years of visiting the weather room the pair knew all the hiding places on the way there and walked there with confidence and without a fear of getting caught, but they didn't usually run into anyone anyways. When they reached the room Ron pressed his hand into the brick hardly, but the door did not open.

"Wrong brick Ron." Hermione said silently, and pushed her hand into the one above his.

"Oh." Ron said sheepishly as the door opened, and Hermione walked in.

"I can't believe you didn't visit here while we were fighting." Hermione said as the the door behind Ron closed and rain began to fall from the ceiling. "I could never stay away."

"Well I kinda thought of it as our place you know." Ron said, "It didn't feel right to come here without you." He went to stand next to her, and took her hand. They both looked down at the enclosed hands awkwardly, and then looked back up, looking straight forward.

"Yeah... it never really felt completely the same." Hermione said. "It's much better with you."

"Yeah well rain is certainly better than fog." Ron replied, awkwardly.

"Definitely." Hermione said, smiling at Ron.

"Good."

And with that Ron thought that maybe, just maybe he never ever wanted to not talk to Hermione for so long ever again, but that was absolutely it.


End file.
